I once shared a transatlantic flight with Viggo Mortensen
(I already shared this story in the Viggo sub months ago, so if it's familiar to some of you, that's the reason haha. It happened about 10 years ago and at that time I was not in my LOTR-fangirl phase which was probably fortunate because I might have harassed him otherwise, haha.)
So I am originally from Belgium but about 10 years ago, I was travelling from Madrid to Boston. While I was waiting in line to get boarded I heard someone talking in English on the phone and the voice was familiar so I turned to look and first I didn't recognise him, even though I had watched the LOTR movies many times, but he looked quite different in real life, you know, short grey hair and no facial hair, but I had also watched Eastern Promises so I knew him without facial hair too, haha. So after a few moments I realised, hey this looks like Viggo Mortensen!! At first I didn't want to believe it, and I didn't know that he was living in Madrid, so I was like, why would he be in Madrid, haha.
Then I noticed his lip scar which is quite visible in real life and I remembered he had a lip scar, so I'm thinking, wow this really must be him. He has the Aragorn voice, he looks like Viggo, he has the lip scar, it surely must be him, haha. Then I noticed he had an American passport in his hand, so that also checked out. He was standing in line like two metres away from me. He was wearing a baseball cap and he was looking downwards most of the time, I guess he didn't want to be recognised.
I didn't go up to him because I'm very shy and I didn't want to disturb him, but I couldn't not watch him, haha. I had loved him in LOTR. I also had a bit of a crush on him. Then I heard another person around me whispering "Viggo Mortensen", but I don't know what they said exactly because they were Spanish. They didn't go up to him either.
Anyway Viggo was travelling alone and in standard economy class, absolutely no fuss or special treatment. I think the majority of people had no idea who he was.
We got on the plane and of course I was watching him and hoping he would be seated near me, haha. We ended up quite near, me in an aisle seat and him in a window seat two rows behind me, I could totally see him if I turned backwards. Imagine how hard it was not to turn backwards constantly to stare at him, haha.
It was a 8-9 hour flight, so I did get to look at him a few times, like when I was going to the toilet etc. I saw him read a book, use his laptop and at one point he was asleep.
After we landed I considered going up to him for a photo but he didn't seem to be in good mood somehow, he seemed tense and tired. Nobody went up to him so it's not that he was rude or anything, I just got the vibes he doesn't want to be disturbed. He was asleep shortly before landing so maybe he was grumpy after waking up, haha. But anyway I am not someone who collects autographs or wants pictures at any price, I was thrilled enough that I got to share a flight with him, even though we had no interaction. And I am REALLY shy haha. I probably would have gone up to him if others had done so, but I didn't want to be the first one and didn't want to draw attention to him (and myself).
That's my Viggo story. I thought some of you might find it interesting!